No. HB 1225
Filed under Criminal Justice.
Grand Jury Testimony and Materials; Authorizes court to disclose certain grand jury testimony & materials in certain circumstances to further justice; requires clerk of court to take possession of & preserve certain grand jury materials; prohibits person from disposing of or destroying such materials; specifies materials required to be preserved; requires clerk of court to maintain chain of custody list for such materials during grand jury proceeding; specifies manner in which clerk of court shall store & provide access to stored materials; prohibits certain persons from accessing such materials; requires documentation of authorized person's access to such materials; requires state attorney & his or her employees to preserve certain grand jury materials; requires preserved materials to be retained for certain period of time; requires Office of State Courts Administrator to adopt certain rules; authorizes Office of State Courts Administrator to perform inspections for certain purposes; requires disclosure & provision of access to materials upon court order; prohibits intentional destruction or alteration of grand jury materials; provides penalty; requires FDLE to investigate alleged violations of preservation requirements.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDClerks of court must now take possession of and preserve all grand jury materials, including digital recordings and electronic devices, for 50 years after criminal proceedings conclude.
The bill creates a new felony of the third degree for anyone who intentionally destroys or alters these preserved materials, with the Department of Law Enforcement required to investigate alleged violations.
It expands the definition of protected grand jury materials to include physical storage devices and digital media, while explicitly excluding internal state attorney work product and legal memoranda.
Courts are authorized to disclose grand jury testimony and materials to survivors of sexual abuse or capital crimes, provided the subject of the inquiry is deceased.
AIMandates that the clerk of court take possession of, preserve, and securely store all grand jury materials, including digital and physical media, in sealed containers within the courthouse.
AIRequires the retention of all preserved grand jury materials for 50 years after the conclusion of associated criminal proceedings, unless a court orders otherwise.
AIProhibits any person from disposing of, destroying, or altering grand jury materials, establishing a third-degree felony penalty for intentional destruction or alteration.
AIAuthorizes courts to disclose grand jury testimony and materials to media, interested persons, or survivors of deceased subjects under specific conditions, including notice to the state attorney.
AIRequires the clerk of court to maintain a restricted chain of custody list documenting who accessed grand jury materials, what was accessed, and when, with a redacted version being a public record.